


A Dangerous Game

by alohdark



Category: Marvel
Genre: M/M, Unbeta'd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 20:48:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5389757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alohdark/pseuds/alohdark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt lay on his back in the rubble around him as his hearing came back to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dangerous Game

Matt lay on his back in the rubble around him as his hearing came back to him. Two broken ribs, multiple laceration across his body, a broken nose that wouldn’t stop bleeding down his face, and a probable broken ankle though it might just be strained. He knew he should get up and move but for the moment he was content to wallow in his pain and focus just on the man shifting through the rubble to make sure everyone else caught in the blast was dead. Matt knew Frank was aware that he had regained consciousness even if he hadn’t moved from where he’d landed yet. 

“Castle.” Matt called softly, just raising his voice enough to be heard over the fire. The sound of sirens was loud to his ears but he knew that Frank couldn’t hear them yet. 

Frank stopped what he was doing and came over to the prone man. They didn’t say a word as Matt held up a hand in a silent request and was helped to his feet. They didn’t speak as Frank helped him out of the building, the fire and police sirens growing louder as the fire began to consume the building. Matt figured Frank would help him far enough along that they’d be able to part ways without risk of either of them being caught. He was surprised when Frank lead them to an abandoned storefront and headed into the basement. The air was fresh and clean, obviously recently occupied. The sharp scent that was purely Frank floated through the air almost covered by the smells from Frank’s various equipment and their cleaning products. 

“Sit.” Frank said, the hard tone in contrast with the gentle hands helping him towards the only chair in the room. 

Matt stopped without sitting down and began to strip. He knew he needed to treat his wounds before infection could begin to take hold and he needed to wrap his ribs. Matt supposed he should have felt some sort of embarrassment or a need to hide in front of The Punisher but he couldn’t think of Frank as that anymore. He knew what Frank did and who he thought he was. But Matt knew that the hands of The Punisher could kill without hesitation were the same hands of Frank Castle who would tend to the cuts that Matt couldn’t reach and wiped away the tears of children. 

When Matt was fully naked he folded and put aside his costume. He sat slowly into the chair keeping his senses on Frank. He was tending his own wounds in the bathroom, smelling faintly of his bland soap. Frank took his time patching up the gashes that managed to get through his body arm. He would be more bruised than bloody in the morning and Matt wished he had a fabric as strong as Frank’s body armor that wasn’t as stiff. 

When Frank was finished in the bathroom he brought out the med kid to the table next to Matt’s chair and set about a bowl and a pot of hot water. The two of them cleaned the grim and grit off of Matt’s skin, Frank reaching the places that Matt couldn’t, before they started cleaning the wounds themselves. Frank wrapped Matt’s ankle, proclaiming it sprained and not broken under the swelling. 

Before Frank could stand up from where he was kneeling before Matt, Matt reached out without thinking about the consequences. Frank stiffened as Matt’s hand wound its way through his hair, gently running fingers through the damp strands. 

“You’ve let it grow.” Matt said, his other hand joining the explorations. The hair of Frank’s beard was coarse but not unpleasant in its roughness against his palm. 

“Haven’t had a need to cut it.” Frank said cautiously. 

Matt willed Frank to relax into his hands. To let the wariness go. Matt smiled and turned his face so that he’d appear to be looking into Frank’s eyes. “What colour is your hair?” 

Frank snorted a laugh and relaxed just a fraction. “Black.” He said wryly. “But there’s more grey mixed in every time I look.” 

Matt chuckled and moved his fingers slowly across his scalp. He massaged gently and felt Frank relax a degree farther. There were scars even here hidden under Frank’s hair as a testament to the life he lead. Matt moved his hands to either side of Frank’s face and cupped his jaw. His thumbs ran over his cheeks and settled against his lips. Matt heard and felt Frank’s heartbeat jump just as his own did. This was a dangerous line Matt was walking. A dangerous game they both had been playing for years and too rarely gave into. 

Matt’s laugh escaped him as his unhelpful brain told him that he was the ‘man without fear’ and decided to fall headfirst into this game tonight. Matt moved gently lead Frank up to his feet by the hands on his chin before dragging them together. Their breath was hot against each others lips for the millisecond Matt waited to give Frank the opportunity to pull back and end this before it started. 

Instead Frank closed the gap between them.


End file.
